1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is a more species specific and humane animal trap. The animal trap is actuated by triggering mechanism improvements.
2. Description of Prior Art
In searching prior art, the following patents were discovered:
U.S. Pat. No. 1,210,253; Dec. 26, 1916; Ahlenus
U.S. Pat. No. 1,970,672; Aug. 21, 1934; Prestenback
U.S. Pat. No. 2,228,808; Jan. 14, 1941; Keppel
U.S. Pat. No. 2,459,580; Jan. 18, 1949; Oleen
U.S. Pat. No. 2,496,393; Feb. 7, 1950; Hayden
U.S. Pat. No. 2,564,811; Aug. 21, 1951; Mau
U.S. Pat. No. 2,577,182; Dec. 4, 1951; Clark
U.S. Pat. No. 2,701,428; Feb. 8, 1955; Mau
U.S. Pat. No. 2,947,107; Aug. 2, 1960; Lehn
U.S. Pat. No. 3,010,245; Nov. 28, 1961; Conibear
U.S. Pat. No. 3,106,036; Oct. 8, 1963; Lehn
U.S. Pat. No. 3,146,545, Sept. 1, 1964; Frost
U.S. Pat. No. 3,335,517; Aug. 15, 1967; Montgomery et al
U.S. Pat. No. 3,421,251; Jan. 14, 1969; Hofmeister
U.S. Pat. No. 3,426,471; Feb. 11, 1969; Lehn
U.S. Pat. No. 3,760,531; Sept. 25, 1973; Conibear
U.S. Pat. No. 3,762,094; Oct. 2, 1973; Conibear
U.S. Pat. No. 3,816,955; Jun. 18, 1974; Conibear
U.S. Pat. No. 3,924,347; Dec. 9, 1975; Conibear
U.S. Pat. No. 3,991,509; Nov. 16, 1976; Frost
U.S. Pat. No. 4,117,623; Oct. 3, 1978; Conibear
U.S. Pat. No. 4,128,961; Dec. 12, 1978 Conibear
U.S. Pat. No. 4,406,082; Sept. 27, 1983; Askins et al;
U.S. Pat. No. 4,250,654; Feb. 17, 1981; Souza et al;
U.S. Pat. No. 5,579,602; Dec. 3, 1996; Maw
This seems to be a crowded art. The goals of the above inventors included more humane and reliable kills with lighter weight low cost mechanisms. Many an animal has suffered needlessly when caught in such a manner that death came slowly. Often an animal would twist off or bite off a leg to escape. Many a pet dog has been caught in a trap meant for a wild animal. Hunters have accidently stepped into traps and been injured, even suffering, on occasion, a cruel death from exposure while trapped.
In the prior art, as an animal goes through a trap known as a rotating frame trap, it hits a trigger wire which rotates a trigger bracket which elevates a latch which holds the trap jaws apart. As the latch elevates, the trap jaws are rotated by at least one spring, snapping shut on the animal. The intent is to humanely kill a specific specie of animal. Rotating frame traps are designed with a specific jaw spread and spring strength along with other factors for a specific size animal. Far too often, something smaller than the appropriate size is killed by the trap. Examples of unintended kills include rare otters, Atlantic salmon, baby alligators, squirrels, chipmunks, grouse, quail, and song birds. Even when the appropriate sized target specie is caught in a prior art rotating frame trap, it often is caught in a non-lethal area of the body because of excess free travel or slop in the trap's firing mechanism.
Also, in the prior art, the latching mechanisms tend to wear and become less reliable than the present invention.
Rotating frame traps are often used in buckets and in cavities in the ground in order to avoid non-target catches.
As will be seen in the subsequent description, the present invention includes improvements over the prior art that insure a more reliable, humane, and species specific kill than is currently available.